140 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



pulverized soil would absorb the dew and fertilizing 

 substances from the atmosphere, which could not 

 penetrate a hard-crusted soil. He showed, by the 

 relation of an incident which came under his own 

 observation, how a limited and partial knowledge 

 of this subject would lead a man into a wrong 

 course of practice. What we want, he said, in 

 conclusion, is, that these plain truths shall be bet- 

 ter and more thoroughly understood ; that our far- 

 mers shall know how to save their manure when 

 they have once obtained it. 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, would place science, 

 in its application to farming, not in the first, but 

 in the second place; practice should come first ; by 

 this practice we should get our facts and build our 

 theory or science upon them. He believed that one 

 spear of grass would produce another, and that two 

 spears woidd produce three others, &c. So he be- 

 lieved that one pound of hay would produce two 

 and a half pounds of solid manure, and chemists 

 say that the liquid will be of an equal amount. If 

 this is so, there will be five pounds of manure from 

 one pound of hay; upon this ground he argued, that 

 every farmer possesses fertilizing matter enough, 

 and more than enough to keep his land in good 

 condition, and still to sell one-third of his crop. He 

 had used plaster in renovating his lands — applying 

 100 lbs. to an acre. This he had done for some 

 years without seeing any good effects from it ; but 

 in the fifth or sixth year he got a very good crop 

 of clover. Barn cellars he thought saved one-third' 

 of the manure. Where he formerly used 24 cords, 

 he now uses 16 cords. As an experiment, he had 

 this year covered his cow-yard, and thought the 

 result so far had been good. He thought compost- 

 ing in the field is best. His compost heap gener- 

 ally weighs 48 lbs. to a cubic foot ; and when kept 

 over one year, 43 lbs. — whether this is a loss in the 

 power of production, or mere weight, he could not 

 say. Hogs he thought might be made great sources 

 of manures. He tried an experiment with a pig 

 weighing about 140 pounds, and the result was 

 that he produced seven pounds of manure in twen- 

 ty-four hours. This would bear composting with 

 meadow muck on the ratio of one to 4 or 5 — and 

 make a rich compost. Four pounds of meal he 

 said would make a pound of pork. 



Mr. Coffin, of New Hampshire, defended science 

 as applied to agriculture from objections sometimes 

 urged against it — and advocated its benefits to far- 

 mers. He doubted the correctness of Mr. Brooks' 

 statement, that one pound of hay would produce 

 live of manure. A part of it would be consumed 

 in forming the bones, flesh and muscles of the an- 

 imal. Bone-dust he thought could be advanta- 

 geously used on lands which require phosphoric 

 acids ; plaster on lands which need sulphate of 

 lime, but not on those which contain sulphate of 

 iron. < < uano contains scarcely a particle of miner 

 al substance. It is mostly ammonia and unless 



covered up immediately its virtues will be wasted 

 upon the atmosphere. He approved of Mr. Brown's 

 views in regard to the application of lime. It sets 

 the ammonia free in animal manure and allows it 

 to go off in the atmosphre enriching the farmers 

 neighbor as much as himself. It is useful to de- 

 compose swamp muck, and also to neutralize the 

 effects of sulphate of iron — which is often found in 

 rocks in our fields and pastures. 



Mr. Holbrook, of Oregon, made a few remarks 

 relative to the great Agricultural resources of the 

 country, and was followed by 



Maj. Wheeler, of Framingham, who, in reply 

 to Mr. Brigham's question, how best to restore 

 pasture lands, recommended the use of plaster, at 

 the rate of two bushels to the acre. The meeting 

 then adjourned. 



The subject for discussion on Tuesday evening 

 next is Farm Stock. Hon. Edward Everett will 

 preside. 



A Mowing Machine. — The Poughkeepsie Eagle 

 says that a machine for mowing, manufactured 

 in the western part of this State, has recently 

 been introduced into Dutchess County, which -will 

 probably prove of great advantage to farmers. It 

 is warranted to cut and spread an acre an hour of 

 any kind of grass, with a pair of horses, on all 

 lands free from obstructions, and do it as well as 

 it can be done with a scythe by the best of 

 mowers. The machine is simple in its construc- 

 tion, and can be managed by any boy capable 

 of driving a pair of horses. It is highly recom- 

 mended by a large number of farmers who have 

 used it with success in the western and central 

 part of the State. 



dElT We have received a note from an esteemed 

 correspondent, (*) in relation to the closing part of 

 the meeting at the State House, on the 2d inst., 

 and perfectly agree with him when he says — "I 

 thought the best way to notice them was not to 

 notice them at all!" We shall be glad to have a 

 personal interview with our correspondent. 



He closes his note by saying — 



It struck me that the remarks of most of the 

 gentlemen who spoke at this meeting, were to the 

 point, and highly appropriate. It Avas surely prop- 

 er to illustrate the application of the principles of 

 science, to the ordinary purposes of life. And al- 

 so proper to point out distinctly, what is to be 

 asked of the Legislature. The subject has been 

 long enough under discussion to come to a point. 

 And it is to be hoped that no Jfaw will spring up 

 to capsize the barque, which now seems so near 

 the haven of safety. * 



February 5th, 1*852. 



[EirThe Duke of Northumberland has ordered 

 the construction of a thousand cottages upon his 

 estate in Northumberland, for the accommodation 

 of the working classes. 



